​MIAMI — The Miami Heat kicked off free agency by re-signing forward Simone Fontecchio on a one-year veteran minimum deal, arranging the agreement before the official start of free agency. The move allows Fontecchio, who was on the Heat’s roster last season, to join again as the league opens at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The contract is worth $2.6 million, but only $2.5 million will count against the salary cap, luxury tax, and related aprons.
Fontecchio, who turned 30 in December, earned $8.3 million last season on the second year of a two-year pact with the Pistons after he was acquired in a July 7, 2025 sign-and-trade that sent Duncan Robinson from the Heat to Detroit. His first season with Miami was uneven: he started strong from three, then cooled as the year progressed. By bringing Fontecchio back, the Heat add a low-cost shooting option as they reshape the roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo, the focal point of last week’s deal with the Bucks.
In the trade with Milwaukee, Miami shed the 3-point shooting of Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, and Kasparas Jackucionis, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. also left in the exchange that brought Bobby Portis to the Heat. This left the Heat with several roster spots to fill with affordable veteran talent. Fontecchio appeared in 70 games last season for Miami, starting nine, averaging 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 16.8 minutes per game, while shooting .412 from the field and .375 from beyond the arc. At 6 feet 7 inches, he gives coach Erik Spoelstra the versatility to play him at either small forward or power forward.
The Italian forward, a native of Pescara who went undrafted in 2017 after playing professionally in Italy since 2012, brings five NBA seasons of experience, including stints with the Jazz, Pistons, and the Heat. Because the contract is a league-minimum deal, Fontecchio can be signed immediately as soon as Wednesday, with larger free-agent deals remaining subject to the end of the NBA’s signing moratorium on July 6.
Fontecchio publicly expressed his free-agent intentions at season’s end following Miami’s overtime play-in loss to Charlotte: “All I can say is that I loved all my time here. I embraced the culture, my teammates, everyone, and it’s definitely a fun year, through the highs and lows, through the ups and downs.”